Brander rubbed at his eyes with his forefinger and thumb, then rolled his head from one side to another before sliding down further into the couch he occupied, his black bangs flopping into his eyes. “So Baldur sought you out rather than begging Meinrad or Rambart for aid.”
“Yep.” Lapis sipped from her teacup, happy that Selda now worked at the new rebel house and she did not need to explain how to make her favorite tea to a new cook. Whitley laughed, a low, angry sound that the commons room swallowed, and set his untouched mug down with a dull thunk.
“They’d never help, anyway,” he muttered darkly. “All they care about is getting their external funding back. They don’t want to spend any of their own money on the rebellion, and they’re pretty pissed Faelan cut them off. They’re trying to spin it like they gave up on him, but no one’s buying it because they don’t have access to funds or missions.”
If they thought Vivina’s capture posed a threat to their person, the two obnoxious nobles would.
“Vivina isn’t exactly someone who cared about rebel politics,” Patch said. “Baldur might have intimated a few things to her, but overall, she’s an empty vessel.” He thrummed his fingers on his belly, irritated.
“Which means they’ll get rid of her once they realize it,” Brander murmured.
“Yeah.” Her partner rubbed at his face, then leaned into her. “Well, this isn’t how I wanted to spend the evening,” he grumbled. She kissed the side of his head before burying her nose in his hair. They bathed before returning downstairs, and he spritzed scent from an unlabeled bottle that enticed her like a bee to a flower. Musky, warm, with a hint of spice.
“It could be worse. You could be trapped in a meeting with Jarosa and Lady Ailis,” she told him.
Brander snickered at Patch’s unamused frown. “I’ll come along,” he said. “I don’t have anything else to do. Sherridan’s helping look through Danaea’s documents, and I’d rather leave him to it.”
“Fun times,” Lapis said.
“He knows the undermarkets better than I do,” the rebel reminded her. “He’s managed to make a few connections I don’t think anyone else could, except maybe Patch.”
“I’m not reading through all that shit.”
Linz hopped into the room, bouncy despite the hour. Lapis had no idea where they got all the energy and wondered if they might drink wake juice. If it kept Patch up for days, what might it do to a more gangly person? “Are you going to the Eaves?” they asked, excited.
“The reading circle’s meeting, so yeah,” Lapis said. She did not want to stay at the House without Patch; lounging about, bored, until Jarosa and Lady Ailis returned held no appeal, reading through Danaea’s things held even less, and Jerin did not need her. He had latched onto Caitria while regarding her with suspicion.
That somewhat annoyed her, but new rats never made much sense in the first few days of street living. They had a lot to figure out in a short amount of time, and he was no different in that regard. His life’s path drastically altered in just a few hours, and he had yet to catch his breath and contemplate what it meant for any future plans he once possessed.
“Going to surprise Dachs?” Patch asked drily.
“Yes!” They beamed. “Letters aren’t the same as sitting down and catching up. And!” They jabbed an index finger into the air. “I need to get to know Jiy better. It’s my home now, and I can barely find a grocery, let alone anything else.”
“Then visit the Night Market. The second floor has everything you could possibly want when it comes to food.” Patch pulled away and stretched before flumping back into the cushions.
“Mind if I tag along?” Whitley asked. “I . . . need to get out.”
“Sure.” Lapis downed her tea and could not stop her wistful look at her partner. She wanted to spend the night in his arms, soaking up his body—and by his return gaze, he had planned the same thing. He gently kissed her before heaving himself off the couch. Brander groaned himself to his feet, as eager as her partner to speak with Baldur and get the job done.
“Let me get my jacket.” Linz whisked out the door, humming.
“Come on, Brander,” Patch said with a gut-deep sigh. “Let’s talk to Caitria before we go. She might have some info we can use.”
